1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that can communicate with a server that provides a microblogging function, and to a control method and computer-readable storage medium thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, cloud computing systems have become commonplace as the form of systems that provide services using the internet. Due to this, users, without preparing hardware resources such as a server, if they provide a minimal connection environment, can use services called cloud services provided by cloud computing systems. As for cloud services that have already been realized, there are CRM (Customer Relationship Management) services that provide CRM system functions for carrying out customer management and sales support. As for other cloud services, there are document management services that provide storage and management functions for the storage and management of electronic files.
Furthermore, there are also services that provide a microblogging function as a communication tool. A microblogging function is a short blog function in which users holding accounts of the service make available “messages” and “comments” in 100 to 200 characters called “microposts”. The user here is not limited to being an actual user (person) and also includes such things as, for example, printers, linkage services, and objects in cloud services and applications. A unique identifier is assigned to each “message”, “comment”, etcetera that a user posted or sent. In a microblogging function, when a user registers a “message”, a “timeline”, which is a list of “comments” related to the “message” and through which comment registration, display and management is possible, is created. The user that registered the “message”, and other users, by registering related information as “comments” on the “timeline”, exchange information and communicate. For each user account, there is a function for managing the profile of the user, so it is possible to know what kind of person a communication partner is. For example, information such as the name of the user, contact details (email address, telephone number, address, etcetera), and groups they are a part of is managed.
Amongst CRM (Customer Relationship Management) services provided as cloud services, there are examples in which a microblogging function to be used as a communication tool during work is provided. In these cloud services, client information, business discussions, etcetera is linked to “messages”, “comments”, etcetera, in order to further improve the user's convenience of use. Furthermore, at the same time, in CRM services, file sharing functions are provided in which files are shared between users, wherein the files can be saved, edited, updated, and referenced. An example of this is Chatter provided by Salesforce.com as a microblogging function. Document, File, etcetera are examples of file sharing functions.
Furthermore, amongst image processing apparatuses such as multi function peripherals, improvement and increase in functions have been continuing. In recent years image processing apparatuses have been developed equipped with not only the standard functions of scan and print for digitization of paper documents and printing, but also network interfaces (hereinafter referred to as “network I/F”). For example, an image processing apparatus equipped with a network I/F can send image data, formed by scanning a paper document, to a cloud document management service to store the data. Furthermore, by registering as a “message” to a microblogging function of a cloud service information related to image data stored on a cloud document management service or information related to image data stored on an image processing apparatus itself, it is possible to notify another cloud service user with the information. Accordingly, by using this kind of function, distribution of image data to other users is realized.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-207300, a proposed technique is of sending, attached to an email, a URL that specifies the storage location of information for which distribution is desired. By this technique, the receiver of the distribution, having received the distribution notification of information by an email, can obtain the information by directly accessing the URL attached in the email, and the distributor can check if the receiver of the distribution has accessed the information.
However, these conventional techniques have the following kinds of problems.
For example, there are cases where it is desired that a replacement be made in order to add to or correct information (image data, etcetera) that has already been distributed, and there are cases where it is desired that information related to information that has already be distributed be added and distributed. In these kinds of cases it is necessary to notify by once again registering a message to the microblogging function or to notify by an email, etcetera. In this case, there is the issue that it is difficult for the user that received a second notification, to understand its relation to previously distributed information. In other words, when the replacement of information occurs, it is difficult for the user to distinguish if this is new information or if it is a replacement of information that was previously received. Furthermore, in the case where information was added, it is difficult to distinguish what information the information is related to, etcetera.
Furthermore, in the case of registering once again a message to a microblogging function, even if the message is information related to a previously registered message or to the timeline of the previously registered message, the message is registered as a new message independent of the timeline. For this reason, there is a possibility that a browsing user will miss a notification of the replacement or adding of information.